No other fish accounts for more bogus sick days, overdrawn checking accounts, cracked rods, and busted marriages than Tarpon. But, really, what’s not to love about them? They’re big, often hungry, and capable of gravity-defying pirouettes that rival those of most ballerinas. A string of Tarpon approaching in crystalline water has been known to buckle knees. Andy Mill, the former downhill-ski-champion-turned-tarpon-fanatic is among the legions of die-hard fans of Megalops atlanticus. The only difference? Mill turned his love affair into the best compilation ever written about this magnificent game fish.
A Passion for Tarpon (Wild River Press) is Mill’s beautiful coffee table-style book that includes far more than just gorgeous images of Tarpon taken by Pat Ford and others. It also features insightful interviews with the pioneers of chasing Tarpon on the fly, no small feat when the adversary often exceeds 100 pounds. Legendary guides like Stu Apte, Steve Huff, Harry Spear and Hank Brown offer tales of their most memorable fish, what it was like in the heyday of Islamorada and Homosassa, and the tactics they developed for catching silver kings on feathers. Others who helped popularize the sport, such as Lefty Kreh, Billy Pate, and writer Thomas McGuane, chime in as well. Part history, part tutorial and all illuminating, these recollections put the reader on the bow of the skiff as one massive maw after another opens to inhale a classic Cockroach pattern or a lime-green Toad fly. 
Passion isn’t pure gushing infatuation–it’s honest in its approach, too. Huff, considered the best Tarpon guide ever, offers a revealing perspective in this excerpt about the days before catch-and-release became the norm:
“As you know, today they don’t kill Tarpon in tournaments anymore,“ Huff explains. “And I think that is a good thing. However, I am thrilled to death to say that I killed some [laughter]. I mean, I love these fish and I have utmost respect for them. Killing them today would be ludicrous. But back then it was such a rush to reach out with a giant, freakin’ gaff and smash one of those things because they would go ballistic. You never knew what was going to happen. Absolutely the biggest rush I have ever had in my life is gaffing big Tarpon.” Huff goes on to describe how he was pulled overboard numerous times while gaffing record fish.
Still, this book is much more than a historical account; Several chapters are dedicated to the how-to aspects of the sport and those alone are worth its hefty cost ($100). Detailed explanations on presenting the fly, fighting the fish, and tackle will shorten anyone’s learning curve immediately. The Illustrations depicting boat positioning and fly placement are especially helpful. Other sections describe the evolution of flies and Mill’s favorites, with color photos and “recipes” for specific conditions. Dr. Jerry Ault’s chapter on Tarpon biology and management is another must-read for fans who want to learn all they can about this cunning animal. As a bonus, the trade edition includes a DVD with the first episode of Chasing Silver, an award-winning series by filmmaker Jamie Howard.
Andy Mill has caught thousands of Tarpon on the fly in his career. He is ranked among the top tournament anglers ever by his peers. But his greatest legacy may be this homage to the silver king. A Passion for Tarpon is, without question, the quintessential treatise on Tarpon and a true labor of love.
–Captain Dave Lear
Book Review: “A Passion for Tarpon,” by Andy Mill
